Serbia, Kosovo Presidents Hold Firm Stances Amidst Tensions In Northern Kosovo

The presidents of Serbia and Kosovo, Aleksandar Vucic and Vjosa Osmani, respectively, remained entrenched in their opposing positions, despite expressing a desire to defuse the violent crisis in northern Kosovo.

As they arrived at a summit in Moldova on Thursday, attended by over 40 European leaders, the two leaders did not acknowledge each other, even though they stood mere meters apart on the red carpet.

Both sides are facing increasing international pressure to find a resolution to the ongoing conflicts between Kosovo's ethnic Albanian-dominated government and the ethnic Serb majority in the north.

The violence escalated following the installation of ethnic Albanian mayors in northern municipalities by Kosovo authorities, with the backing of special police units.

These mayors were elected with a turnout of just 3.5% after Serbs boycotted the local polls.

The presidents were scheduled to have separate meetings with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on the sidelines of the summit.

However, it remained unclear whether both would meet each other directly.